And he looks an awful lot like your boyfriend
by Capella-Lestrange-Riddle
Summary: A series of Whouffle oneshots - was previously just one little drabble but then people liked my fluff so here you go! I in no way own these characters - if I did they'd be married already :) In-Progress because it is a series of oneshots, so I add on a lot... :D
1. He's my boyfriend

{_What was Clara supposed to tell Artie and Angie when they saw her with the Doctor? A short one-shot of why the kids think the Doctor is Clara's boyfriend, and what happens when she has to tell the Doctor about her little lie. Spoilers for Rings of Akhaten and the Crimson Horror!}_

* * *

Clara stepped out of the TARDIS with a huge grin on her face. Never would she have thought she'd save a whole planet - and no matter how upset she was about losing that leaf - the infinite possibilities of a first page - she knew that she saved a whole planet, a whole solar system. She didn't at all regret it.

"Ok, so, tomorrow then?" The Doctor asked, spinning around once he stepped outside the TARDIS next to her.

"A bit eager to get me in your snogbox, eh, Doctor?" Clara asked flirtatiously, winking at him.

"Ah, no, I mean, Clara, ah, I, just... shut up!" the Doctor stuttered, causing Clara to laugh. For someone so old he was such a child.

"Two days, okay? Even though it's only been hours to them, it's been two days for me. I need to spend some time with Artie and Angie for a bit." Clara grinned childishly. "Then I'll be back in your snogbox and you can take me wherever you want." Clara giggled at the shocked and flustered expression. He just shook his head.

"Not a snog box... you got it! Two days, Clara Oswald!" He quickly put his hand to the side of her face and kissed her forehead before heading back into the TARDIS. She grinned merrily as she watched it fade from her view and headed back inside.

Locking the door behind her she quickly fixed her hair in the mirror before heading into the kitchen. "Who was that?" Angie asked as Clara reached up to the kitchen counter to grab a mug. She was dying for a nice cup of tea.

"Who was who?" Clara said, pretending like she had no idea who Angie was talking about.

"We saw you with some guy," Artie chimed in from the kitchen table. "You were all smiley and happy, then he kissed you on the forehead." Artie scrunched his nose in disgust, but Angie smiled deviously.

"So, who is he?" Clara guessed they didn't see the TARDIS - which was good, because lord knows she didn't want to have to explain _that_ to them.

"He's... my boyfriend," Clara replied quickly, surprising herself at how natural the lie sounded. "And we were just... you know... doing grown-up things-"

"Ew, you were kissing, weren't you?" Artie exclaimed. Angie just kept on smiling.

"Oi, none of your business," Clara said in faux annoyance, swatting him lightly on the head with a towel. "Now both of you get your homework done. I'll see you in the morning," and with that Clara went upstairs, thoughts of her new 'boyfriend' and his snogbox filling her head.

* * *

It had been a week since the Doctor dropped Clara off back home from Victorian Yorkshire and the kids had found those pictures. She hadn't been able to get a hold of the Doctor to take her and the kids on a trip, but she knew he'd turn up sooner or later. The kids had been talking all week about exciting and amazing adventures... and she needed to talk to the Doctor about a specific boyfriend of hers...

It was about one in the morning when she heard the TARDIS materialize outside the house. Not caring that she was only wearing a tank top and very short-shorts Clara dashed down the stairs and out the door to meet the Doctor. She smiled when she saw him leaning up against the side of the big blue box.

"Aha, four days, as promised! Now come on Clara, planets to see, races to save - don't want to miss it!" The Doctor grinned childishly, wringing his hands together in anticipation.

"Seven days, chin boy. A bit late are we?" Clara pouted, just to mess with him. However when his face fell she regretted it - she could tell she struck a chord somehow. She went up and put a hand on his shoulder. "Seven days was just enough." She gave a small smile when he took her hand and kissed it lightly.

"Well then, impossible Clara Oswald, let's get going."

"Wait! Doctor, I need to... em... talk to you," Clara said, grinning sheepishly. The Doctor looked at her expectantly, prompting her to continue.

"Remember when you first dropped me off back home after we saved Merry at Akhaten? Well Artie and Angie - the kids I watch - saw you and I together outside, and asked who you were. Obviously I couldn't tell them you were... you, so I told them you were my boyfriend." Clara grinned in triumph when the Doctor blushed at the word. Hadn't they just a week ago pretended to be Doctor and Mrs. Smith? "Well, anyway, they found some pictures of you and me from our trips - in the submarine, at the haunted mansion..." Clara left out the picture from Victorian London - she'd ask him about it later. "And, well, they figured out for themselves that you're an alien time traveler, and they want to travel with you. And I suggest you let them, or I'm going to be out of a job." Clara paused to take a breath, gauging the Doctor's reaction - anxiousness, giddiness, and was he still blushing?

"Of course they can come along! I know the best planet for them to see - took my niece once - a brilliant place, really. They'll love it! I'll just wait until they wake up and we can go! But only one trip, got it?"

"Yes, definitely. Only once. But here's the thing..." Clara hesitated. "They still think you're my boyfriend. So don't be surprised if they ask about it or anything - just play the part, okay?" Clara said, poking him in the chest for emphasis and ignoring the way her heart fluttered at the thought of him pretending to be hers. He was smiling from ear to ear now, and Clara was a little bit wary about it.

"You're the boss," He said with a smile, grasping her hand. These words instilled a surprising confidence in Clara, and quickly she got up on her toes and placed a light kiss on the Doctor's lips.

"Good, because as my boyfriend you may be doing some of that." She grinned cheekily at his reddening ears, but her eyes widened in surprise as the Doctor cupped her cheek and brought his lips to hers once more. Clara quickly threw her arms around the Doctor's neck and wound her hands into his hair as the Doctor laid one hand on her cheek and the other on her waist. The kiss was slow and gentle, yet still full of passion.

The need for oxygen caused them to pull away, much to the dismay of both. "I think I'll be okay with that," the Doctor said, still blushing slightly. Clara grinned, silently thanking Artie and Angie for begging to go on this trip.


	2. It's Mothers Day

Clara rolled out of her extremely uncomfortable bed slowly, dreading the day. She looked in her mirror to see her hair a ratted mess atop her head and mascara lines down her cheeks. She had been too lazy to take off her makeup that night, and seeing as what today was, she had been crying.

Hastily Clara brushed her hair and washed her face, not in the mood to take a shower or try to look presentable - but she knew that she couldn't go out looking like this. She'd never want the Doctor to see her like this.

After putting on jeans and a loose fitting t-shirt, Clara walked to the console room. She smiled when she saw the Doctor fiddling around with buttons on the console, remembering that his second favorite thing to do was toggle. He looked up at her with a big grin on his face as she walked over to where he stood.

"Ah, good morning Clara! Where to today? There is the creation of an alien species happening today on the planet Neborasis, truly fascinating!" The Doctor looked at her expectantly.

"That sounds great," Clara said, not feeling like teasing the Doctor about how big of a nerd he was. "Anywhere's good today, as long as it isn't Earth." She forced a small smile, and nodded her head towards the console. "Let's get going."

The Doctor's face fell - this wasn't _his_ Clara. Something was wrong. "Are you alright, Clara?"

"Yeah, peachy keen. Now show me that new Alien race of yours."

The Doctor nodded his head and set the coordinates. After an extremely shaky ride through the time vortex the TARDIS landed them on Neborasis, May 12th, 3013. The Doctor smiled excitedly - it wasn't every day you got to see the birth of a new species! He grabbed Clara's hand and quickly pulled her out the door and onto the beautiful planet.

As Clara looked around tears welled in her eyes. The planet truly was beautiful; there were trees everywhere. And not just any trees - Maple trees. With big, red maple leaves.

As the first tear rolled down her cheek Clara sharply turned around to go back into the TARDIS. "Okay, this was boring, let's go somewhere else. Anywhere else, really. This isn't exciting."

The Doctor turned at Clara's words and watched as she tried to open the TARDIS door. He normally would have chuckled when she cursed as the TARDIS kept it's doors locked, but he could hear the sadness in her voice. He went up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder, turning her around. Seeing the tears streaming down her face, he put a hand on cheek and wiped the tears away with his thumb.

"Clara, why are you crying?" He asked, searching her dark brown eyes for the answer.

"Oh, it's nothing, really, can we just-"

"No, Clara Oswald, you're going to tell me what is making you upset right now. I will not have my Clara crying for any reason - has the TARDIS upset you?" The Doctor was getting angry now - he had never seen Clara this upset, and he certainly didn't like it. He felt the strong need to protect her in the pit of his stomach; he just wanted to make her smile.

And Clara did smile at the Doctor's over-protectiveness. She was glad that he cared. "No, it's just... you do know what day it is, don't you, Doctor?" The Doctor just looked at her, slightly confused. "It's Mother's Day," Clara clarified when she realized he wasn't going to make the connection. "The maple leaves, they reminded me of..." Clara stopped as more tears threatened to spill over. Realization dawned on the Doctor and he quickly hugged Clara to his chest tightly, running a hand through her hair soothingly.

"Hey, now, it's alright. I'm so sorry - had I know I never would have brought you here. Come on, we can go somewhere else - there's a planet that doesn't have any mothers at all! The male species gives birth and takes care of the young - how about that?"

Clara laughed shakily and she buried her head into the Doctor's shoulder. Just being like this with him made her feel better almost instantaneously. "No, that's okay. I mean, you were so excited to visit here - I wouldn't want to disappoint my chinboy." Clara looked up at him with a small smile. The Doctor was reluctant, but he slowly let go of Clara and took her hand, leading her through the trees to try and find the two species who had come together to create a brand new one.

"Do you have a Mom, Doctor?" Clara asked as they wandered through. She was doing everything to not look around here at the trees, so she tried hard to focus on the back of the Doctor's head. She needed to be distracted.

But at her question the Doctor froze up slightly, squeezing her hand tighter without even realizing it. "I did, yes," the Doctor said, slowing his pace. "Not anymore."

When she heard the sadness and slight anger at his response Clara instantly regretted asking. But, as always, curiosity got the better of her. "What was she like?"

The Doctor smiled, remembering his mother. "Oh, she was wonderful. Always telling me about the galaxies and how fantastic all of space was. She was the one who tried to teach me how to fly a TARDIS... she was the one who told me to travel, to see the stars." Clara smiled at this - his mother sounded an awful lot like her own.

"She sounds fantastic," Clara said, squeezing the Doctor's hand for comfort. She knew how hard it was - losing someone so important. And the Doctor had lost so many...

"She was." The Doctor turned around to face her, and Clara almost ran in to him. She hadn't expected him to stop so suddenly - so the Doctor put a hand on her shoulder to steady her. "What was your Mom like?" The Doctor asked, pretending as though he hadn't stalked Clara's timeline after the first time they met.

Clara smiled fondly, remembering everything about her mother. "She was brilliant. And beautiful. And she was always there for me - always telling me stories and finding me whenever I was lost." Another tear rolled down Clara's face, which the Doctor quickly wiped away. She smiled at him; her throat was too choked up to say anything else.

The Doctor didn't know what came over him in that moment, but for some reason he pulled Clara quickly to his chest and hugged her tightly before pulling away and leaning his head down to brush his lips lightly against hers. Clara's breath hitched at the action, and the Doctor turned away quickly. What had he juts done?

"I-I'm sorry, Clara, I... I..." Before he could explain Clara pulled him around by the hand and crushed her lips onto his. After about 3 seconds of wild arm flailing, the Doctor rested his hands on her waist and kissed her back. They stayed like this until the need for oxygen became too strong. When they did pull away the Doctor leaned his forehead on hers, looking into her eyes.

"Thank you," Clara whispered. She didn't think he knew just how much she needed him in this moment. The Doctor just smiled at her, kissing her lightly on the nose before pulling his head away and grabbing her hand again.

"Come on; I think I know somewhere much more exciting." The Doctor smiled and pulled her back into the TARDIS, setting coordinates and pointing over to the closet. "Go put on something pretty... not that you don't look pretty now or anything, just..." Clara laughed at his fidgeting and let go of his hand, heading over to the closet.

"You're walking on thin ice, Chinboy. Better stop there."

As she felt the TARDIS land Clara emerged from the closet is a long, red gown. "Will this do?" she asked the Doctor flirtatiously, doing a little spin for him. At this the Doctor choked up slightly. "Um, yes, that's... that's... shut up!" He grabbed her hand and led her out the TARDIS door, watching her face the entire time.

Clara couldn't believe where they were. Quickly the Doctor led her to a pew and they sat down in silence. Clara admired the beautiful insides of the church - lilies were everywhere, along with beautiful white satin. Tears of happiness rolled down Clara's cheeks as she heard the music play and watched her mother come down the aisle. "My Dad always said she looked stunning," Clara whispered in the Doctor's ear. And she truly did - Clara still had the white wedding dress; she planned on wearing it at her own wedding one day. The Doctor just nodded, but couldn't watch the wedding - no, his eyes were glued to his impossible girl's face. She was crying again, but smiling as well. He knew how much she loved this.

As the ceremony came to a close the Doctor and Clara quickly slipped back into the TARDIS - her mother could definitely NOT see her daughter at her own wedding. As they got back inside Clara kissed the Doctor again - slowly, and full of passion. The Doctor didn't flail his arms this time, instead, one hand tangled up in her hair and the other rested gently on the side of her face. As they pulled away, Clara beamed up at him.

"You have no idea how much this means to me."

The Doctor just smiled, kissing her forehead gently. "Anything for you, impossible girl."


	3. I Don't Know Who I Am

_I don't know who I am_

It had been two weeks. Two weeks since Clara jumped into the Doctor's time stream to save his life. Two weeks since her brain had been filled with a thousand lives - a thousand years of knowledge of time and space. Two weeks since Trenzalore.

Two weeks they had been in the TARDIS. After Trenzalore Clara didn't want to go back home - she didn't want to go anywhere. She wanted to be alone, in the TARDIS. Well, she wanted the Doctor with her, but she didn't say that.

She spent most of her time in the library, or in her room. She slept a lot, and she assumed that that was when the Doctor was going out on adventures. Without her, of course. She couldn't function.

She remembered everything. Gallifrey, Starship Alaska, Victorian London, and all her other lives. She remembered running, always running, never stopping, to save him. To save the Doctor. Her Doctor.

She was in the library that day, curled up on a couch with _The History of the Last Great Time War_ wrapped in her small arms. She had been meaning to read it, but kept putting it off - mainly because she remembered it. She remembered the Great Time War, because it was where she had died. Well, one of the places and times she had died.

She had been Closwin Oswald on that planet, and she had been 226 years old when she picked out the Doctor's TARDIS. And she fought in the Great Time War as one of the Head Generals - nicknamed "Braveheart Closwin" for her courage and bravery. One of two female Generals. And the last General to die. She had killed herself so she wouldn't be turned into a Dalek. But she had saved the Doctor by picking out the proper TARDIS for him; she remembered in those last moments what her mission was on that planet in that time frame, and who she really was, and she knew she had accomplished what she had set out to do.

Unknowingly Clara had opened the book and was staring at the Table of Content. She read the chapter names but stopped when she saw the second to last name. _Braveheart Closwin, Rassilon, and other heroes of the war._ As tears began to spill over she closed the book and threw it to the other end of the couch. Out of all her memories, all her lives, this one caused the most pain.

The Doctor had been standing in the doorframe for some time, watching. He was horribly concerned for Clara - all of that information, all of those lives, suddenly forced upon her; he was impressed that her mind could actually handle it all. And when he saw her start to cry his hearts broke simultaneously, and he found himself quickly walking towards her and sitting beside her. She curled into him immediately, clutching his collar and crying into his shoulder. He pulled her close to him and kissed the top of her head in comfort, and that's how they stayed for some time, until Clara finally pulled her head away to look up at him.

"How do you handle it? All the sadness, all the pain, all the loss?" her breathing hitched on the last word, and the Doctor found it hard to look into her pain filled eyes, knowing he had caused all that suffering.

"You think about everything good. Clara Oswald, you lived a thousand lives, and you did something brilliant in each and every one. You saved lives, you lived happily. So that's what you focus on." She seemed unconvinced and laid her head back on his shoulders, so he continued on.

"I think about the people I loved. My granddaughter - you and she were friends on Gallifrey, remember?" He felt Clara smile into his shoulder - he remembered now, her telling him which TARDIS he should take. She hadn't known, and he didn't tell her, but he had been Closwin's Godfather of sorts. And he knew how close Closwin and Susan had been.

"I think about the barmaid in Victorian London who kissed me out of the blue," the Doctor continued, gently stroking Clara's hair. "And the look in her eyes when I gave her the key to the TARDIS."

Clara lifted her head at this, and looked into the Doctor's eyes. That was the incarnation she remembered second best, and she definitely remembered that kiss. She remembered thinking that she needed to prove to someone that this man liked her back... she realized now that she had to prove it to herself. Her _real_ self.

And before she knew what she was doing her lips were against the Doctor's, arms around his neck. The Doctor was surprised and confused for about two seconds before gently tangling his hands in her hair and kissing her back, hoping to kiss away all the pain he had caused her. All the death and destruction she had to endure.

When they finally did pull away Clara looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back - it had been two weeks since he had seen that smile.

"And we run, Clara. We run as fast as we can."

And with that he grabbed her hand and they bounded into the console room, her laugh echoing in the halls. Together they flicked some switches and toggled some buttons, not knowing where they were going, but excited to start their adventure.

**yay angst. I just think it'd be so difficult for the human brain to endure all of the information Clara now has, so I wrote this on how I think she handles/gets over it. A bit AU because of the Gallifrey stuff, but ya know... whatever :P**


	4. Replacement

Sometimes Clara would say something and the Doctor would get that look in his eye. He tried to hide it, deny it - he thought she didn't notice. But she did; she always did.

Sometimes Clara would say something and it would remind the Doctor of Victorian Clara. And the Doctor would get that look in his eye; the look of sadness and loss, with the possibility of what could have been. Of course both the Doctor and Clara knew that Victorian Clara was just an echo. That the real Clara, the Clara from which Victorian Clara was born, was laying right next to him. But the Doctor still saw them as two different people, with slightly differing personalities. Victorian Clara was the first Clara he fell in love with. Clara - the real Clara - seemed to always be second.

Clara pushed herself off the bed and padded quietly to the console room. She sat in the only chair and looked at the monitor, pulling up a picture of Victorian Clara. She remembered everything, of course. She remembered all her lives. But she specifically remembered kissing the Doctor in this life. She wanted to prove that he fancied her. Prove it to herself, Clara guessed. Clara never thought that the Doctor would fall in love with her - well, that version of her.

Tears we welling in Clara's eyes and before she could wipe them away she felt someone elses hands do it for her. She looked up into the Doctor's concerned eyes and stood, falling in to his embrace. The Doctor pet her hair soothingly, whispering into her ear. After a few minutes Clara pulled away, turning her face away from his.

"Before I started traveling with you I told you that I wasn't going to be a replacement for someone you lost." Clara looked over at the monitor, frowning at the picture. "Well, it's the same with this, Doctor. I love you - you know I do - but I'm not going to be with you just as a replacement for her. I mean, I know she's me, but still -" Clara couldn't finish her sentence because of the Doctor whirling her around and cutting her off.

"Clara," he said, pain in his eyes. "My Clara. Why would you ever think that you were a replacement?" He brushed another tear from her face softly with his thumb. "Clara Oswald, you are my impossible girl. I wouldn't even be here right now if it wasn't for you. I've never met anyone who wasn't important, but you... I think you're probably the single most important person in my existence. Without you, I would have died a long time ago."

Clara looked at the Doctor, surprised that he was showing this much emotion. He never laid his heart on his sleeve like this. "But Victorian Clara..."

"Was you," the Doctor finished. "She was _you_, Clara. And I fell in love with _you._ Why don't you see that?" The Doctor asked, genuinely concerned, as though it was something Clara knew the answer to. He searched her eyes, trying to make her see he was being as honest as he had ever been. He didn't know what else to do. "I love _you._"

And at that Clara's mouth was on the Doctor's, holding him as close as she could. She didn't want this moment to end, and neither did he. After a while the Doctor broke them apart, still holding Clara close, and looking into her dark brown eyes. Never breaking eye contact, he took both of her hands and rested them on his chest. "Feel these two hearts, Clara? They beat for you. Not an echo - _you._"

Clara looked from his face to her hands on his chest, smiling, fresh tears in her eyes. Tears of happiness. "I'm not going to compete with a ghost," Clara quoted herself from over a year ago without realizing.

"You don't have any competition."


	5. Touching

**a/n: Sorry it's been so long, my life's been pretty hectic as of late. Thank you for being patient! I'm going to be uploading one or two slightly AU chapters pretty soon, but I'll label them if you don't like AU, so don't worry :) Thanks for the support, and as always, reviews are wanted!**

* * *

They were always touching. No matter what the situation was, they were connected somehow. They were holding hands, his arm was draped around her shoulders, they were leaning against each other. He would kiss her forehead, or put his hand against her cheek, cupping it as though it were the most precious thing in the whole universe.

They were always touching, and now was no different. They ran through the city, hand in hand, hearts pounding and hair thrashing in the wind. The Doctor looked over to Clara and grinned, squeezing her hand slightly. How could Clara not grin back? He laughed lightly and then sped up, jerking her along with him. _Do the trick._

Finally they found the TARDIS, racing inside and closing the doors quickly. They both leaned against the TARDIS door, leaning against each other, as they listened to the muffled sounds of confusion made by the King and his guards. Clara and the Doctor looked at each other before bursting out into laughter. After a few seconds the Doctor pushed away from the door and bounded up to the control panel, flicking some switches enthusiastically, grinning all the while. Clara took a few seconds to catch her breath before meeting him at the console, leaning against the side and watching him, a smile plastered on his face.

"Well!" He exclaimed, breaking the comfortable silence between them. "Now we know why Edward III started the 100 years war!"

Clara laughed. "I can't believe _you _were Joan of Arc's 'divine guidance'!" The Doctor grinned at her sheepishly in response, flicking a few more switches before joining Clara's side, leaning in to her slightly. Both silently reveled at the contact.

"So, where to now, Boss?" The Doctor asked, giving her a mock-salute. Clara grinned before looking forward, pretending to really consider all the options.

"Let's go visit Vastra, Jenny, and Strax. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

* * *

Clara and the Doctor exited the TARDIS in front of Vastra and Jenny's home, Clara in a lovely Victorian dress. She looped her arm through the Doctor's without either of them really thinking about it - it seemed natural. He patted her hand once as they made their way to their friends' door, smiling when Strax answered.

"Ah, hello Sir. Miss Clara. May I take your coat?" Clara smiled and handed Strax her coat before walking inside. The deja vu of her life in Victorian England was rampant, and she couldn't shake the slightly queezy feeling that the thought of the last time she visited this house produced. The Doctor was brushed up against her slightly, providing her some comfort, some solidity, as Vastra and Jenny entered the hall.

"Clara! Doctor! How fantastic to see you!" Vastra said, smiling ear to ear. Jenny rushed over and hugged them both before motioning them to the sitting room.

"I take it you both have been doing well?" Vastra asked as Clara and the Doctor sat, pouring them both a cup of tea.

"Yes, definitely! Never better!" The Doctor answered with child-like glee. He had missed his friends. Clara was right, it had been too long.

Clara smiled beside him, nodding her head as a show of her thanks when Vastra handed her the tea. She took a small sip before speaking. "You won't need my emergency contact details anymore, Vastra. Moved into the TARDIS full time - got my own room and everything."

Vastra and Jenny smiled, glancing at each other knowingly before Jenny answered. "That's great, Miss Clara!" Vastra nodded in agreement, and the Doctor couldn't help but think that the two were keeping something from them. However, he didn't ask. He didn't think it was something he necessarily wanted to know.

They chatted for another hour or so before Strax brought up what all but the two in question were thinking. "Sir, if you don't mind my asking, why are you two always... _touching?"_

The Doctor and Clara looked at each other in confusion for a moment before the Doctor realized his arm was draped casually over her shoulders. He removed it quickly as red flooded both of their cheeks. "We're not _always_ touching," Clara insisted, unable to meet anybody's eyes. _The trick, the trick._

"Actually, Miss, you sort of are," Jenny said, thinking about all the times she had seen the Doctor and Clara together. If they were in close proximity with each other, they were touching about 90 per cent of the time.

The Doctor cleared his throat, apparently unable to answer. It was enough that he couldn't admit his feelings to himself, let alone his friends and the person he had those feelings for. At the sight of their apparent discomfort, Vastra quickly changed the subject. Although curious to know the answer, she knew she shouldn't press the two. They would figure it out very soon.

* * *

Clara and The Doctor said goodbye to their friends as they made their way back inside the TARDIS, consciously keeping themselves from having any physical contact. Once inside the Doctor flicked some switches in silence, both feeling slightly uncomfortable. They couldn't stop thinking about Strax's comment - they really did touch quite a lot.

"Us touching all the time is perfectly ordinary," Clara finally said, unable to take the silence any longer. "Friends touch all the time. I'm sure you held hands with all of your other companions."

The Doctor smiled anxiously, nodding and answering quickly. "Yes, yes, of course, those three were being completely daft. There is nothing wrong with us always touching. We can hold hands if we want to." At that the Doctor strode over to Clara, reaching for her hand. She took it with a small smile, her confidence and cheekiness growing.

"Exactly. And you can touch my face if we want to." At that, Clara glanced at the Doctor's free hand expectantly before he put it to her cheek, cupping it in a way that was so familiar, thumbing stroking her skin lightly.

"Of course. Doesn't mean-" The Doctor was cut off by Clara's lips crashing onto his. Her hand fell free from his grasp and both reached up to tangle in his hair, while his now-free hand rested on her waist. The kiss was shy, but still full of hidden desire and lust. After a few seconds Clara pulled away, breathing slightly heavily.

"We can do that if we want to," Clara said, a slight question in her tone.

"We can do that if we want to," The Doctor repeated, a bit stunned but still more confident about what he was going to do next - what he had wanted to do for some time. He dipped his head down and captured Clara's lips once more, this kiss becoming more heated and frantic, and lasting much longer. One hand rested on Clara's hips while the other held the back of her head lightly, while her hands moved from his neck to his chest and then found a resting place in his hair. Their lips moved in sync, his tongue grazing her lips before she parted them to allow him access. Their tongues seemed to battle for dominance until the need for air was just too strong, and the two broke apart. Clara looked up at the Doctor with a smile, breathing heavily, and he returned her smile eagerly, wrapping her hands in his once more.

* * *

Clara woke up to the Doctor next to her, looking at her with a smile. She smiled back sleepily at the memory of what happened the day prior, as well as that night. She let out a small breath and snuggled closer to him, burying her head in his chest as he wrapped his arms around her slim frame. Suddenly a thought came to Clara; one that had been nagging her for some time, but resurfaced rather abruptly now.

"Doctor, a while back, when we were fighting the cybermen..." The Doctor stiffened ever so slightly at the memory, and Clara leaned back to look at his face. "You said I wasn't pretty. And that you didn't like me. Was that..."

The Doctor looked down at her then, a smile dancing on his lips and a light chuckle coming from him. He brushed her hair back with one hand before pecking her on the lips. "Rule One," he tapped her nose lightly. "The Doctor lies."


	6. Nightmares

**a/n: So I was feeling really sentimental over the Doctor's companions today, and this happened. I know it's vaguely similar to my other Trenzalore chapter, but I really wanted to explore this idea. Sorry if you hate it... also this is pretty dark!doctor and dark!clara and pretty much the definition of angst so... have fun!**

* * *

Clara finally understood. She finally understood why the Doctor didn't sleep. Sure, Timelords didn't actually need that much sleep, but she now understood why he _couldn't_ sleep.

The nightmares.

Every night the nightmares plagued her. Nightmares of Trenzalore - of him dying, her being unable to save him. Nightmares of her memories outside of him, of her lives, some of them so awful, some ending so cruelly, she had no idea what to do. Nightmares of watching him as his friends died. Because she was there. She felt it, all of it.

Clara didn't realize that not only had she been there for the Doctor, but after she jumped into his time stream, she knew his memories. She saw what he had seen. She felt what he had felt. And it was awful. It terrified her to the core.

She woke up screaming, something that had been happening for the past couple of days. She was calling out for the Doctor - she didn't know where she was. She never knew.

"Shh, Clara, I'm here," The Doctor cooed as he rushed into her room in the TARDIS and crawled onto her bed, hugging her tightly. Clara leaned into the Doctor, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Tears were flowing freely now, but at least she knew she was safe in the Doctor's arms.

They stayed like this for several minutes, him rocking her and whispering that she was alright. Finally, after Clara gained back some composure, she pulled away from the Doctor. "Stay with me," she whispered, almost completely inaudible. This wasn't his Clara.

"What?" The Doctor responded, confused and slightly surprised. It was one thing for Clara to be vulnerable and seemingly weak, completely opposite her usually confident and strong demeanor, but now she was asking him to _stay in bed with her._ She must be ill.

"I-" Clara began before exhaling shakily, diverting her eyes from his and gazing at the blanket wrapped around her. "I can't bare it, the nightmares, I just can't, I can't-"

And the Doctor hugged her again, tightly to his chest, for she had started to cry again, stopping her from finishing her reasoning. He kissed the top of her head softly before speaking. "OK."

* * *

Clara woke up the next morning in the Doctor's arms. He had stayed with her all through the night, true to his word, and surprisingly, he was asleep. Her head was on top of his chest, one arm draped over his stomach while both his arms were wound protectively around her. She kept her breathing relatively heavy in the hopes that he wouldn't realize she was awake, and listened to his two hearts, beating simultaneously. She hadn't had any nightmares. She needed him.

* * *

A week past. Then four. And still, every night, the Doctor would lay there with Clara and let her fall asleep. The first time was the only time he had ever fallen asleep with her; his biology simply wouldn't let him. And although he was stopping her nightmares, he still got his. Not as frequently as before, but they still came. The memories. The loss. And the idea that Clara felt all that too just broke his hearts.

This night as they both crawled into her bed, snuggling together closely, Clara spoke. "Doctor," she began quietly. "Why don't you ever talk about them?" The Doctor looked at her, eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Your companions. I've seen them; spoke with some. Why don't you ever mention them? We can't be that unimportant-"

"You're not unimportant," The Doctor responded a little harshly. "Never think that." The Doctor inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself down a bit. "It hurts, Clara. Their memory, they hurt. Knowing that I changed their lives for the worst-"

"But you didn't, you made them better."

"But look at how they ended, Clara!" The Doctor exclaimed, finally letting out all the years of anger and sadness. "Some dead! Some gone forever! I did all that - it is all my fault! And it hurts to think that I ruined those great, great people."

Tears were in the Doctor's eyes now, as well as Clara's. She hugged him then, clutching to him tightly, not because she needed it, but because she knew he did.

"Doctor, how can you think that?" She quietly said into his ear, disbelief heavy in her voice. "You made their lives so much _better._ I mean, just think about Rose. She thought she couldn't do anything. She thought she was destined to be a woman working in a shop. And then she met you. And she traveled across universes to save humanity. Because of _you._" The Doctor was clutching Clara tighter now, scared, sad. But she needed him to understand.

"And Martha. One of the top employees of UNIT. Sure she was headed on the right path as a medical student before, but she saved the whole world. No one remembers, but she does. And it was because of you that she achieved the greatness of saving the world. You inspired her to do that.

"Donna Noble was the most important woman in the whole of creation. Because you helped her become better. And she learned how to be better while being with you.

"And of course the Ponds. But that goes really without saying, doesn't it?" Clara smiled, because she knew the Ponds may be a little too fresh for them to talk about. "All of those lives, all of those people. Doctor you didn't ruin them - you _saved_ them. You saved me."

She pulled the Doctor's face up so he was looking directly into her eyes. "I've seen the nightmares. I know the pain. But what I know that you seem to not understand is that _you are The Doctor._ A healer, a helper. A person who makes people better. You made all their lives better - and even though it may have just been a fleeting moment to you, Doctor - you affected their whole lives. Our whole lives."

And at that she pulled the Doctor's face to hers and kissed him gently. She needed this, she had wanted it for so long. And he needed it too, for he was kissing her back, picking up the pace, making their kiss more passionate. Their mouths opened and they allowed their tongues to roam the slightly uncharted territory - for both remembered the kiss with Victorian Clara. But this was different, because this was the real Clara in his arms right now. The Clara he needed. His Clara. The Clara he loved.

Oxygen became necessary all too quickly, and the Doctor pulled away, leaning his forehead against Clara's, listening to the sound of her slightly labored breaths. They looked into each others eyes and smiled, the Doctor stroking the side of her face. "Thank you," he breathed quietly.

"No, Doctor, thank you. You've helped me through the nightmares. You've made me better. I don't want to think of where I'd be without you."

Clara lay down, and the Doctor followed suit, and wrapped in each others arms, they both fell asleep, warding off each others' nightmares.

And from that point on, they never slept in separate beds again.


	7. A New Face

"It won't be you," Clara whispered sadly, looking at the ground instead of the Doctor. "I've seen all of you, and you're the same man, same memories, but different. Different face, different personality. Not the personality I fell –"

Clara stopped, partially because she was too choked up to finish, but mostly because she didn't dare say what she felt out loud. She looked into the Doctor's face, seeing sadness and love written all over it. He limped over to her, cupping her face with one hand while his other hand supported his body weight. She knew it was coming.

"My Clara," he began labouredly. She looked at his hand – golden light started seeping from his pores. "I-"

Clara cut him off, her mouth finding his and frantically kissing with all her strength. She couldn't lose him – not without him knowing this. Whatever this was.

He kissed back with equal fervor, and she was surprised at how un-flailing his limbs were. Both of them poured all of their emotions into this kiss, trying to make it last as long as possible. Too soon, though, the Doctor pushed Clara harshly off of him, causing her to fall back onto the ground. She looked up to see him bursting with yellow light, and shielded her eyes.

She kept her eyes shut, covering her face with her arm as to shield from the regeneration energy, until she felt a large hand take her by the elbows and help her up. She opened her eyes slowly, afraid of what she would find.

"Well then, Clara Oswald," the man in front of her said.

"How do I look?"

* * *

**A/N: how was that? I know it was short, and I'm sorry. I have been extremely busy, and up until today I have had awful writers block :/ however, I've got a few souffles in the oven (hehe) and will post some more this week!**

**Also, I have written one other drabble, but it is very similar to "nightmares." Do you guys still want to read it?**

**You guys are OUTSTANDING!**


	8. Lullaby

**A/N: Thank you all for your lovely reviews! PLEASE keep them coming :) This chapter is very similar to 'Nightmares,' so sorry about that :/ Also it is another short one; I'm going to try to write a longer one very soon :)  
**

* * *

She woke up screaming.

But when did she not wake up screaming?

It was the memories. It was the headaches. It was the pain, the loss, the lives that she had led. It was the nightmares.

Clara had decided to stay on the TARDIS instead of going back to the Maitland's right away, because she did not want to scare them. And she needed the Doctor, but she wasn't about to say that.

Tonights were particularly awful. They were running and running and running. Well, he was running. He couldn't see her – but she was there, running alongside him the whole way. And he got out just in time but she didn't. She never seemed to.

The Doctor ran into Clara's bedroom, scared out of his wits. This was the sixth night in a row he's rushed to Clara's room because of her nightmares, and he just didn't know what to do. He ran to her bed, sitting on it and lifting her up so her head was cradled in his chest. He murmured to her to try and calm her down, but nothing seemed to work. Tears stained his shirt, but he didn't care. His Clara was in pain, and that was all he could think about.

"Shh, Clara, you're alright. It's okay. I'm here, I'm here." Her screams subsided, but she was still crying into his chest. He rubbed her back, and then he remembered something.

He started out quietly at first, but grew more confident with each note. Clara tried to control her sobs – the Doctor was singing. And not only singing, but singing beautifully, in a language Clara vaguely recognized. Not English, no. And the TARDIS wasn't translating it. Gallifreyan. He was singing to her in Gallifreyan.

She stopped trembling, leaning into his chest and shutting her eyes, her breathing slowly going back to normal. She tried to memorize was his voice sounded like – it was absolutely beautiful. He sang for a few moments longer before going quite again, stroking her hair.

"On Gallifrey," the Doctor began quietly, "that was an old lullaby. Very old; oldest lullaby in the Universe, probably. After I looked into the Time Vortex, it would always calm me down after my nightmares." Clara looked up into the Doctor's eyes, and pressed a hand to his cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered before curling into him more. The Doctor shifted so they were lying next to each other on the bed, Clara protectively wrapped in the Doctor's arms. The Doctor started singing once more; a different melody. His voice was soft, lulling Clara to sleep almost instantly.

He continued to sing, rubbing her back, combing his fingers through her hair, kissing the top of her head; anything to make her feel safe. And for the rest of the night, Clara didn't have any nightmares.


End file.
